Diamond District's debut In The Ruff made huge waves last year - ending up on countless year-end lists including heavyweight websites KevinNottingham.com, PopMatters.com, and more, and also continued the avalanche of well-deserved attention to the previously underrated DMV hip-hop scene. Considering the impact that the album made, remixes of some of the cuts were inevitable. A reworking of "I Mean Business" by yU (1/3 of Diamond District) surfaced in late December, and now, Canadian producer Marco Polo, who contributed tracks to Masta Ace's A Long Hot Summer, Sadat X's Black October and various Boot Camp Clik projects, including his own Double Barrel project with Torae, is the latest to add new flavor to one of the tracks - reworking one of the album's top songs, "Who I Be."

In addition to getting the track out early for fans, Marco Polo's "Who I Be" Remix will be appearing on Mello Music Group's Diamond District Remixes album, as well as Duck Down Records' The Stupendous Adventures Of Marco Polo. Even before hearing the track, the pairing of Marco Polo's patented boom bap with Diamond District's own break beat heavy sound is a logical match. Marco Polo's new flavor is apparent right out of the box, as he drops the low end and adds a serving of catchy keys that give the song a fresh and more bouncy feel. On enlisting Marco Polo for the remix, Mello Music Group founder and Director of Operations, Michael Tolle, says, "Given the success of In The Ruff, we wanted to keep the remixes in a few select hands. Oddisee reached out to Marco on the strength of his Double Barrel release with Torae. and Marco came thru with a big radio friendly remix that made fresh use of the original ODB sample." Keeping the remixes in ready supply, in the coming weeks fans can also expect a remix of "Streets Won't Let Me Chill" by Detroit's own Apollo Brown.

In other news, Diamond District, along with label mate Trek Life, will be making their way across seas for a series of European tour dates in the coming weeks. Kicking off the 10-date tour February 11th in Mainz, Germany, Diamond District will also be making stops in Belgium, France, Italy, and more before closing things out February 27th back in Germany at club Kassablanca in the city of Jena.

The group Diamond District is comprised of emcee/producer Oddisee, and emcees X.O. and YU. Greatly influenced by their surroundings and love for 90's east coast hip-hop, Diamond District is on a mission to bring back the sounds of old with a new twist and represent for the DMV. X.O. who was born & raised in the North West quarter of D.C. defines what it is to be a black male raised in the district. With lyrics that depict street life and harsh surroundings, X.O. has a way of philosophizing that raw, gutter reality of DC life that is rarely looked at or spoken about when we discuss our nation's capitol. Oddisee defines the experience of growing up in black middle class Maryland. Bordering the poverty that his and many other families fled to escape, they found out over time that the troubles of the inner city came along with them. Oddisee’s soulful, haunting samples over bass-heavy beat breaks create the perfect instrumentals for Diamond District to match the street savvy, politically conscious lyrics that capture the dynamic of being from the DMV. Y.U., having been raised in the district, Maryland & Virginia, brings that extra variety to the group and shows that D.C. culture has a huge influence beyond its 10 mile radius. Being that YU has lived in all areas of the DMV, his lyrics and stories compliment the rest of the group and define what it means to be from the DMV. In The Ruff, is available now via Mello Music Group.

About Mello Music Group:

Like Lao Tzu in hip-hop, Mello Music Group provides music for the soul, from the heart of American culture, opening the realm of the intelligent hip-hop experience through melodic evocations, beats that corroborate the truth, and voices that roar above the rising void and impose order on the terrible & triumphant moments of everyday life. This is the compelling sound of Mello Music Group. Industry newcomer Michael Tolle founded MMG in 2007 and is acting Director of Operations. MMG will be releasing projects from Oddisee, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Kenn Starr, Finale, Trek Life, Dudley Perkins, Sareem Poems, and YU in 2010. http://www.myspace.com/mellomusicgroup .